Leveling up universities’ environmental strategies, one campus at a time

As large institutions, welcoming a wide variety of people into their cohorts, universities play a crucial role in maintaining and promoting sustainable waste management practices. With the first semester now in full swing too, there comes no better time to gear students, staff, and stakeholders up with the know-how to reduce their environmental impact and help close the loop as a collective.

Scott Owen, director of business development in North America and waste management specialist, highlights why higher education is an excellent place to start, and uncovers the critical role Advetec plays in empowering the leaders of tomorrow…

Why is it important for the education system to lead the change in the US?

University campuses are renowned for their varied and vibrant communities, full of striving scholars and ambitious activists, keen to make a difference. Native and international students alone comprise a significant proportion of this demographic — regularly attending the grounds, as well as sprawling throughout networked halls of residence. But there are also professors and researchers, support and administration staff, facilities managers, boards of directors, and more.

Naturally, this means that the volume and types of waste produced at universities are equally diverse. As such, it’s crucial to implement comprehensive strategies that address this wide range of waste streams — encompassing everything from paper and plastic to food waste, as well as specialized disregards from laboratories, for example.

Fostering a culture of awareness and responsibility plays a vital role in minimizing ecological footprints. And what better place to empower environmental stewardship than a university? As beacons for innovation and progression, focused on educating the leaders of tomorrow, these institutions have become a ripe place to improve waste disposal efforts and capitalize on the benefits of sustainable waste management.

These include:

• Improved environmental performance: By reducing the volume of produce that is sent to landfill sites, universities can help curb the carbon emissions produced by vehicle fleets, as well as the potent greenhouse gasses produced by many wastes. More careful resource management is also essential for conservation efforts — reducing the need for new raw materials, promoting recycling and reuse, and minimizing the environmental impact of resource extraction and production processes.
• Significant cost savings: Crucially, universities can save money on waste disposal fees and reduce the need to purchase new materials with effective waste management strategies too. When residual waste is used to produce refuse derived fuel (RDF) and solid recovered fuel (SRF) for energy uses, organizations can help truly maximize their resources too.
• Enhanced reputation: Leading the charge with waste management initiatives can significantly bolster universities’ reputation as socially responsible institutions that demonstrate tangible commitments to sustainability. Crucially, this can also support outreach to the local community — empowering change on and off campus.
• Greater student engagement: Instilling students with a sense of purpose, and encouraging them to actively contribute to wider green initiatives is one of the most effective ways to promote lifelong engagement.
• Better investment opportunities: Student tuition fees and government contributions don’t solely support education providers today. Endowments — consisting of tax-free donations or the gifting of other financial assets — play an equally important role in enhancing academic services. But like many charities, the value proposition must feel compelling to increase success. Investors will be on the lookout for institutions that truly satisfy their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) portfolio.

How universities can level up their environmental game with Advetec

Managing waste on university campuses is no mean feat. Some are so large, they’re practically cities unto themselves. However, the perfect storm between meeting youth’s purpose-driven and societal ambitions and leveraging universities’ exceptional facilities and educational mandate makes them a leading force in the sustainability drive.

At Advetec, we believe technology plays a leading role in reducing the headache. Our in-vessel XO systems harness the power of microbial processes and natural enzymes to accelerate waste degradation — in streams including food waste, organic matter, and industrial waste — and produce a valuable SRF.

Helping universities bring non recyclable waste into the circular economy, this doesn’t just reduce the volume of waste sent to landfill and minimize harmful greenhouse gas emissions. It also enables waste handlers at higher education institutions to leverage the calorific value in food waste, with SRF able to be used directly on campus to generate heat or energy, or be resold for energy recovery.

With the opportunity to not only set an excellent example but also make a significant contribution to society’s broader transition towards sustainability, universities should be hyper-focused on refining their waste management strategies right now.

Keen to continue the conversation? Discover the XO systems.